When a Wolf Walks Alone: Eternal Sorrow
by Zebiax
Summary: NOW WITH CANON PAIRINGS! Details inside... When Kate makes the ultimate decision as an Alpha to unite the packs... poor Humphrey leaves Jasper, tormented by his loneliness... and faced with something he had long since forgotten. How will he overcome the trials he's faced with? Will he overcome them at all? What happens when a single Omega leaves his pack to fend for himself?
1. A Wolf's Darkness

**_Author's Note: Well, here we go. "When a Wolf Walks Alone" was a fanfic written by me and its plot-line was formed on the fly... as a result, I left a lot of my readers in the dark about the outcome of the story and the pairings that they were to expect. As I had released my final decision on the pairings, I had seen quite a bit of disappointment from my readers... however, I believe in my work and I continue to push on. I'm still proud of what "When a Wolf Walks Alone" has become... but I hate to disappoint my readers and supporters... So I've decided to release another version of my fanfic, with a very highly requested KatexHumphrey and GarthxLilly pairing. I hope you guys enjoy, and if you haven't read the original, and you'd take a little interest in HumphreyxLilly and GarthxKate, please go check it out. _****_I wanted to start this bad boy off with a prologue that goes into the years before the events of the actual movie, with Humphrey, Lilly, and Kate still as young pups. For those of you who have read my original, this chapter matches the prologue of the original, but you can expect the plot to change starting chapter 2. I don't own Alpha & Omega or any characters within and blah-blah-blah, you know the rules._**

* * *

"Keep yourself loose… breathe steadily." Winston smiled at Humphrey. He was only a young pup… but he had a dexterity and prowess that matched or even went beyond some of his fully trained Alphas. Humphrey eyed the caribou and slowly advanced.

"Now, now, Humphrey… you're hardly ready to attack. I don't think you could take down a full grown caribou just ye-"

Humphrey sprang forward. His teeth were latched around the caribou's jugular. The caribou bucked around frantically. Winston dashed over to help Humphrey. There's no way the little pup had enough strength to hold on to the panicking caribou.

Blood spurted from the neck of the beast and it fell to the ground… twitching a handful of times before going completely still. Winston's eyes widened and froze in place. There was no way it was possible. Humphrey began tearing at the caribou.

There was a ferocity in Humphrey's eyes that Winston couldn't overlook. He hadn't seen that look in a wolf's eyes in many years. Even as a young pup… Humphrey was becoming crazed off of his instinct.

_Kill… kill… kill… kill!_ Humphrey's mind swirled with nothing but the idea of spilling blood… His teeth ripped flesh off of the wild caribou and blood began to spurt from its carcass, pouring over him. _Hunt… hunt… hunt… hunt!_ Humphrey's eyes shot up from the caribou, his nose sniffing madly for another creature to kill… to consume…

"Humphrey! Humphrey, stop!" Winston tackled the young wolf and pinned him to the ground. "Humphrey, it's me, Winston… Focus! Don't lose yourself." Humphrey fought him, snarling at him angrily. This was not good… Raising a paw, Winston struck Humphrey harshly on the side of his head, knocking him out cold…

* * *

Humphrey awoke dazed and confused. He saw Winston staring at him with a concerned look on his face. He tried to stand up, but a roaring ache in his skull pushed him back down. He groaned. "W-what happened to me?"

"I had to knock you unconscious. You were losing yourself because of your first kill."

Humphrey's eyes widened. "I… I what?"

"It's my fault… I only meant to teach you to stalk your prey. I never meant for you to attack. We can try again when you're older."

Images of his kill flooded into Humphrey's mind with crystal clarity. He remembered jumping onto the caribou. He remembered biting into it until blood spurted from its flesh… he remembered enjoying every second of killing that creature. And he remembered Winston tackling him… and the rage that filled him at being denied of his hunt.

Humphrey shook his head as his eyes widened with fear of himself. "What… what have I done!?" He looked at Winston, unsure and afraid. Winston looked at the ground and sighed. "This is my fault, Humphrey… you weren't ready, but I couldn't stop you. We'll put an end to your training for now… maybe when you've grown…"

Humphrey shook his head harshly, his eyes panicked. "No… never… I can't do that again! I WON'T do that again… What WAS that!? What kind of monster am I!?"

Winston looked at Humphrey with concern. "It was instinct, Humphrey. We must hunt for food. It's necessary for our survival. There's nothing _wrong_ with what happened… you just weren't ready."

Humphrey's heart thumped madly. "No… no… no, no, no, no, no! I _know_ hunting is natural. I _know_ we need to hunt to survive… but that's not the problem… I _liked_ it. I _loved_ it. I had such an amazing rush… from _killing_ a living creature. THAT'S NOT NORMAL!"

Winston tried desperately to calm the young wolf down. "Humphrey… please… just relax. You lost control… in the future, I'll help you. I'll teach you to keep calm."

Humphrey snarled at Winston. "NO!... I can't, Winston. Don't make me do that again… I-I don't want to…"

Winston looked at Humphrey seriously. "Your only other option is to lead the life of an Omega… While you'd play a huge part in keeping the peace, no one will ever take you seriously… You deserve more than that, Humphrey. I, as the leader of the pack, can't watch someone with your potential be looked down on."

Humphrey matched Winston's serious tone. "I will not hunt, Winston. Whatever _that_ was that came over me… I don't want to face that ever again."

Winston sighed. "Very well, then. There will be no Alpha training for you. I hope you don't come to regret this decision, Humphrey."

Humphrey smiled. "I won't, sir! I'll become the most peace-keeping, friendliest Omega around, I promise!"

Winston smiled at the young wolf. When he found Humphrey, lost without any memory of his true parents, he took him in and he was raised by the pack. Every wolf loved the young pup… and he showed great potential. Winston had hoped he could fully adopt him and make him the leader of the pack when he was ready to move on… but it would seem that Humphrey wanted to lead the life of an Omega… and the responsibility of leading the pack would fall to his first daughter.

"Hey daddy! Can we go play with Humphrey?" Lilly asked her father as she and Kate walked up behind him. Winston smiled at Lilly and nodded. "_You_ can… but Kate…" He looked over at his oldest daughter and sighed. "You're going to have to come with me. We have to start you off on your training."

Kate frowned. "Awww, dad… isn't it a little early? You told me I didn't have to start Alpha training until next year!" Winston frowned at the young wolf. "Sorry honey, change of plans. Now Humphrey, Lilly… run off."

* * *

Lilly giggled as she rolled around in the grass, the blades brushing her fur and tickling her. Humphrey stood staring at her… seemingly lost in thought. Lilly stopped moving as she realized that Humphrey wasn't going to play along. "Hey Humphrey… the grass is fine, you're welcome to join me."

Humphrey gave her a small smile and shook his head. "Sorry Lilly… I'm really not in the mood to play around today. I'm trying to think." She frowned up at him. She trotted up to Humphrey and looked him in the eye. "What're you thinking about?" Lilly asked, tilting her head to the side inquisitively.

Humphrey just sighed and said, "Oh, nothing big, really… just about life. What kind of part each of us is meant to play… whether I really want to be an Alpha or an Omega… or even part of a pack." Lilly's eyes widened a little bit, the young wolf shocked and a little confused that something like that would trouble another wolf her age. "Um… Humphrey… those kind of _are_ big things. Why would those things trouble you?"

Humphrey simply shrugged back at her. "It just does… I don't know… it's just… weird." Lilly smiled a little. This was where she excelled… this is where she's needed. She jumped on top of Humphrey and began to nibble onto his ear lightly. "Stop thinking, Humphrey… play with me! Come on, it'll be fun. I'll show you how Omegas spend their time."

Humphrey laughed and tumbled into the grass with her still latched onto him. He began to shake her free and wrestled with her. Lilly laughed and began to struggle against him, trying to hold him down. Humphrey's blood started to rush and his breathing quickened as the two wolves rolled around together in the grass.

His senses sharpened and his eyes started darting around rapidly. In the blink of an eye, Humphrey went from playing in the grass with Lilly to seeking to spill blood. He grew stronger and faster in an instant and he pinned Lilly against the floor.

Lilly smiled up at him. "Okay, okay, you win, Humphrey!" She laughed and struggled a little against his grip. Humphrey panted heavily and his hot breath pushed against Lilly's fur. His mouth began to salivate and his eyes dilated as he stared at her.

Lilly's eyes widened as fear and confusion began to grip her. "Humphrey!? Hey, are you all right!?" Humphrey bared his fangs in response, his body applying more pressure against hers, making her ache where he held her, helplessly pinned to the ground.

"Humphrey? What are you doing!?" Lilly cried out in panic.

_Hunt… kill… HUNT… KILL!_

Humphrey prepared himself to bite into Lilly's neck, ready to pierce her skin and veins until all the life left her body. Lilly screamed and tears began to flow from her eyes. "Humphrey, please, let me go!" She cried out with absolute fear in her voice.

Humphrey's eyes regained focus. His heart slowed. He closed his mouth. He released Lilly and backed away from her several steps. Lilly, frozen with fear, took several moments to stand up, her body still sore from where Humphrey held her down. She looked at Humphrey, who seemed just as afraid as she was.

"Lilly… I… I'm so sorry… I…"

Shame, guilt, and fear swirled in Humphrey's eyes.

"I don't know what I…"

Lilly, scared as she was, took a careful step towards him. "Humphrey… what just happened?"

He took another step away from her. "I'm… I'm sorry…"

Tears formed in his eyes and began to flow freely.

"I'm sorry…"

Lilly looked at him, apologizing and crying… backing away from her.

"I'm sorry…"

She reached a paw up to him. "Humphrey… it's okay… but tell me what happened…"

"I'm sorry…"

Tears continued to flow and Humphrey continued to back up.

"I'm sorry…"

Lilly slammed her paw against the floor, catching Humphrey's attention and making him stop for a moment. "Humphrey… stop apologizing. Tell me what happened."

Humphrey looked at her… scared and ashamed. "I… I'm a monster…"

Lilly shook her head softly. "No, no… Humphrey… that was an accident…"

Humphrey shook his head rapidly. "No… I'M A MONSTER!"

Lilly looked at the poor wolf… scared, crying, and ashamed.

Humphrey looked into Lilly's eyes…

"I'm sorry…"

And he took off… running from Lilly… running from what had just happened… running from the monster that had possessed him.

* * *

_You're a monster._

_You're a killer._

Humphrey lay awake in his den. Empty. Humphrey had never really minded that he didn't know his parents. The pack had always taken good care of him… but now he really just wished his den wasn't empty.

_You're a monster._

_You're a hunter._

Tears continued to fall from his eyes. His mind swirled with the images of what he'd done in his insanity. He'd murdered a caribou and relished in tearing it to shreds… he'd nearly killed Lilly while she was crying out beneath him.

_You're a monster._

_You're a predator._

Footsteps echoed throughout his small den. Someone was here.

"Humphrey?" Kate's voice rang out throughout his den. Shame and guilt churned within Humphrey at hearing her voice. He almost killed her sister… almost spilled her blood all over the grass.

"Humphrey… Lilly sent me to tell you that it's okay. She forgives you."

Humphrey clenched his eyes shut tightly.

"She knows you're sorry… she knows you didn't mean to do what you did…"

_Monster._

"It was an accident… it wasn't your fault…"

Humphrey got up and walked over to Kate.

"Not my fault? An accident? I almost _KILLED_ her!"

Kate looked him in the eye. She saw the pain there… the guilt. When Lilly told her that Humphrey had attacked her, Kate was furious. She was enraged. She wanted to chase Humphrey out of Jasper. She had half a mind to tell her mother what he did and let _her_ deal with him. But Lilly begged Kate to keep it between them. Lilly said that it was an accident and that he felt really bad for it… But Kate didn't think he felt bad enough.

"Kate… I'm sorry for what I did… I really am. And I need you…"

Humphrey swallowed. He looked at Kate seriously.

"I need you… to kill me."

Kate's heart froze. What did he mean? "Are you insane, Humphrey? Why would I do that!?"

Humphrey looked at her helplessly… seemingly afraid of himself. "I _AM_ insane, Kate… that's _EXACTLY_ why you'd do that. I'm not _normal_, Kate… I'm a _beast_. I'm a _freak_. I'm a danger to everyone and everything around me."

Kate looked at Humphrey, who was still scared, but also stern and determined. "Humphrey… even with what just happened… you'd give up your life so easily?"

Humphrey looked at Kate angrily, "Why is this even a question!? Are you not _mad_ at me? I almost killed your sister! It's my life to give up, Kate… and it's nothing worth keeping… not if I'm like this."

Kate bit her lip in indecision. She was really angry at Humphrey for what he'd done… and honestly, she'd wanted to see him suffer severely for it… But looking at him now, she felt that he's already suffered plenty.

Kate walked up to Humphrey and placed a paw against his face. "Humphrey… what happened?" Humphrey tried to look away from her. She wouldn't understand… he was an abomination. Kate walked closer to Humphrey and rubbed her head against his. "Humphrey… tell me."

Humphrey's eyes got a distant look. "I don't know what happened, Kate. One second, I'm playing with Lilly… just a little friendly wolf-wrestling. Then, everything starts losing focus. My eyes shoot around rapidly… my pulse quickens… my nose sniffs for blood… and if I can't smell blood, my body quickly acts to spill it."

Kate began to rub her head against his chest… sensing that it soothed him. "I… I can't think straight… I'm not _me_ anymore. This urge to kill something, to spill blood… it's so powerful. It roars in my head, and I can't control it…"

Humphrey began shaking severely… Kate could feel him trembling against her. He stopped telling her about how he lost his sanity. He was left speechless… his eyes glazed over as he was undoubtedly plagued with the memory of losing himself.

Kate shook Humphrey lightly to dissuade him from his visions. Humphrey looked at her helplessly. "Please, Kate… kill me. I can't live like this." Kate frowned. She didn't know _what_ to do with him… even if it was what he wanted… she couldn't kill him… not in this state, when he was so scared and vulnerable.

"I'll fight you…" Kate said softly. Humphrey looked up at her in confusion. "If that ever happens to you again, Humphrey… I'll fight you. I'm going to be an Alpha… I'll definitely be strong enough to keep you occupied whenever that… _thing_ comes over you. While I'm training in Alpha school… you learn to keep that side of you locked away. Keep it sealed. But if you ever succumb to it again… I'll fight you. I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone or anything."

Humphrey shook his head. "No… what if I hurt you? What if I _kill_ you? I can't allow you to take that risk for me. Please Kate… killing me is the easiest way."

Kate looked at Humphrey seriously. "I'm not going to do it, Humphrey. I promise you, I'll be able to protect myself against you. I will never leave you. Whenever that monster takes you, I will battle it until you come back. I will fight it with you. It can't possibly keep you out while fighting with me. I promise, Humphrey… as long as I'm around… I will keep you sane until you can lock away that _thing_ inside you for good. No matter what, I'll be here, fighting for you."

Humphrey's eyes watered. He wanted to beg her to see reason. He wanted to beg her to just end him and get it over with. It was safer… it was easier. Kate looked determined. "Humphrey, I won't take your life just because of something you have no control over. Please, Humphrey… give this a chance. Give me a chance… I'll be here for you… always."

Humphrey's heart thumped at that.

_Always…_

A life where Kate would protect him from himself.

_Always…_

A life where his den wouldn't forever be empty.

_Always…_

He hated having an empty den…

_Always…_

Kate looked him in the eyes. "I mean it Humphrey… I'll never leave your side until you can control your inner demon. I'll care for you. I'll fight for you."

Humphrey smiled at Kate… his chest swelling with his joy and gratitude that Kate would always be there for him. Nothing would separate them. Kate would fight for him and care for him. He nodded at her… and began to look forward to the life of an Omega.

* * *

_**Author's Note 2: I wanted to use this prologue to kind of give a little more backstory and depth to my main characters. I really wanted to give Humphrey and Kate a little history to set the theme for this fanfic.**_


	2. Hearts Broken by Injustice

_**Author's Note: Okay! Now, here's where things start to make a change... again, you'll notice that this chapter is also relatively the same as my original chapter 2, but as far as Lilly's and Humphrey's connections go, I've stomped it. Even though I got such wonderful feedback on all of my chapters up until the release of my final pairings, I'm not a fan of recycling my chapters and just changing minor details here and there. Starting on this chapter, the plot-line will change to accommodate and develop the canon pairings of HumphreyxKate and GarthxLilly. Please leave your reviews and let me know what you guys think!**_

* * *

Kate looked around for a sign. Anything that would disrupt the wedding so she could buy herself more time to think… buy herself more time to go after Humphrey and beg him to stay in Jasper. When no such sign came, she stared Garth in the eye. He smiled sheepishly at her.

"You… um… ready?"

Those words pounded through Kate's head. Was she ready? Could she really go through with this? What about Humphrey? What was she to do about him? Kate looked her father in the eye. He seemed concerned for her. Was that a sign?

Winston walked up to his daughter seeing the conflict on her face. "Kate… we can fight for the valley. It's not peaceful, but I'd sooner fight than force you into something you don't want to do. If you're not ready… just say so."

Kate looked around once more. All of these wolves… they all needed to band together to ensure the survival of everyone. That or they needed to fight one another for their survival. This was much bigger than her. Much bigger than Humphrey. Much bigger than any individual wolf. She had to do this…

"I'm sorry, Humphrey…" Kate whispered softly to herself. She nodded to her father. "No… I can do this… I have to. This isn't just about me. It's about everyone here." Winston smiled as pride filled his chest. He couldn't have hoped for a better daughter.

Kate walked up to Garth and gave him a small smile. "Sorry… I'm ready now." She approached him and began the ritual. She accepted his scent and nibbled his ear... and steeled herself as they moved towards one another to touch noses.

* * *

Lilly watched and her heartbeat followed a chaotic rhythm as the strong, powerful Alpha she fell in love with was to be taken away from her by her very own sister.

_You're being ridiculous. Garth would never have chosen you anyway… you're just an Omega. You play all day and make people laugh. That strong Alpha wolf is way out of your league. You should've seen this coming._

As much as she told herself that… it didn't stop the pain. Lilly shut her eyes tightly and turned away as tears threatened to fall. When the howls of the wolves around her confirmed that the marriage was complete, Lilly turned and ran from the scene… her heart shattering, and the tears that threatened to fall flowed freely from her violet eyes.

Lilly wanted to run home… but she didn't want to have to face her mother and father. She wanted to hide. She wanted to hide and never be found. She wanted to run from Garth… from Kate… from everything.

Lilly approached the rock where all of the wolves held their Moonlight Howl. She stood at the edge of a stream. She looked at herself in the stream and pushed her fur away from her eyes. She stared at her reflection, even as tears built up in her eyes.

_Your eyes… they're beautiful._

Garth's kind, strong voice in her head only broke her heart more. She pushed her white fur back in front of her eye and lay flat on the ground.

_Useless, foolish, Omega… what ever made you think you could be with a wolf like him?_

Lilly shook her head rapidly. Stupid Alphas… stupid pack law… stupid territory wars. Lilly never asked for much… she was a simple Omega who simply made other people laugh and went out of her way to keep peace in a peaceful manner. For someone who did nothing but happily make others happy… she thought that maybe she _deserved_ to be happy herself.

She sighed and jumped into the stream to clear her scent, and got up on the other side. She followed the stream down to a lake and jumped into the water. With her scent cleared, nobody would really come looking for her… and with her fur wet, nobody who found her would see her tears.

Lilly sat, drenched in the lake, crying for what seemed like hours. She thought about Garth and her sister together… powerful, strong Alphas who led the pack together. She clenched her eyes shut tightly and gritted her teeth together.

_It's not fair…_

* * *

Humphrey sighed as he neared the edge of the valley. He made it this far... he had to do it. He turned and looked back. In the distance, he saw all of the wolves from both packs gathered. He closed his eyes tightly. He dug his claws into the ground. Visions of Kate with him played through his mind.

_Don't do it…_

Kate's smile.

_Don't do it…_

Kate's laugh.

_Please… don't do it…_

A harmonious howl echoed out throughout the silence… Humphrey's heart sank… She had _actually_ done it… He began to run. He ran from Jasper. He ran from the injustice. He ran from his pain. He ran from his tears. He ran from Kate. He ran well into the night… He ran into something else he's been running from all his life.

Laughter echoed all around him. Humphrey looked around, wondering where it was coming from. Another burst of laughter. He began to freak out. A third burst of laughter erupted from his chest.

Humphrey realized that he was the one laughing. Yet he continued to laugh.

_Always?... Always, my ass!_

Humphrey knew that voice… He laughed some more, unable to control himself.

_She had to walk out on you sometime. I've waited oh-so-patiently for this day._

"NO!" Humphrey shouted… not this again… he couldn't face this again.

_Oh, dear Humphrey… that hurts my feelings. Is this how you welcome an old friend?_

"You're no friend… You're a monster! Leave me!"

_But if it weren't for me, you would never have known Kate's love. You would never know what it was like to care for someone so deeply… and have them RIP YOUR HEART OUT._

A shrill, piercing howl erupted from Humphrey's throat, filling the night sky.

_Yes… howl your pain. Howl your agony. Let the world know of your suffering… and let the world know you now belong to ME._

Blood rushed. Humphrey's eyes dilated. He bared his fangs and they seemed sharper and longer than they had ever been before. Strength filled his muscles.

Humphrey shook his head to dissuade the monster taking over him. He took off running. He _had_ to run… he _had _to run from Jasper… he _had _to make sure that he wouldn't hurt anyone.

_Always._

The word echoed in Humphrey's ears as tears filled his eyes. The faint honking of a train horn went off in the distance. Humphrey shook his head, his vision blurred as he fought to keep control. A blinding light flashed in his eyes and Humphrey realized he was standing right on the tracks of the Canadian express. Fear gripped him, and even though his adrenaline kicked in and he was capable of jumping off of the tracks in time… he was frozen.

_Useless Omega…_

The words rang out from Humphrey's inner monster. Humphrey shut his eyes tightly. He thought of Kate… and how she was now married to Garth. His broken heart throbbed.

_It's not fair…_


	3. Unspoken Sorrow

_**Author's Note: Okay, moving right along with this... This version needs to do a bit of catching up. Hope you guys enjoy and please leave your reviews and tell me what you think!**_

* * *

Kate and Garth were escorted to a den to share for the night, but Kate couldn't stand it. Upon entering the den, Kate spoke to Garth and conveyed the truth to him. There was no relationship. Their parents set up their marriage to join the packs… nothing more, nothing less. He agreed on her terms, and he seemed just as upset about the marriage as she did. As the night dragged on, Kate found herself standing outside of the den she shared with Garth, staring at the moon.

She thought about Humphrey. She thought about where he was headed… what he was planning. Kate smiled to herself and shook her head. He wasn't _planning_ anything… she knew it. Humphrey had left Jasper to play it by ear. Images of him flashed through her mind. Him playing with the young bear cub, him dressing up and imitating rock singers in the back of the van they were in… him doing that ridiculous rain dance, forward and backward. Kate laughed to herself.

_Silly Omegas…_

She didn't know what Humphrey would be doing… but she knew that his life would never be boring. Even at this moment, he was probably finding some way to have fun and make the most of his life.

Kate could already see him getting into some ridiculous amount of trouble, yet sitting there and trying to laugh his way out of it. Kate knew that she'd see that spark in his eye as he laughed his way through anything and everything. Kate loved that spark. Humphrey may have only been an Omega… but he had a look in his eye that showed his passion for life. It was odd… Humphrey was no older than her, but when she looked in his blue eyes, it seemed like he had seen dark, disturbing things, but still found the joy and happiness that came with just living.

Kate wished she could find that spark. Kate wished that she could look past duty and responsibility and the harsh cruelties of reality and just be who she wanted to be. She wished that no matter how dark a situation or how many odds were stacked against her, she could just laugh and smile and enjoy herself in every moment of her life like Humphrey did.

Kate's ears twitched. She heard a faint howl echo through the night. Quiet as it was, it was still shrill and unpleasant. It sounded like a wolf was in pain and hurting. It sounded familiar, but Kate couldn't quite put her paw on who was howling.

She shrugged it off and walked into her den to sleep. She thought of Humphrey again before she drifted to sleep. Tears fell from her eyes before her dreams took her.

_I'm sorry, Humphrey_.

* * *

Garth heard Kate slowly drift off to sleep and he crept out of the den. He began to sniff for Lilly's scent. He had to make things right. Hopefully he could talk to Lilly. Hopefully he could work things out with her. Kate had said it herself, the marriage between them meant absolutely nothing. Garth didn't know how he was going to apologize, but he had to try.

As he neared a creek, he lost her scent. Garth gritted his teeth. She didn't want to be found. Garth's heart ached. He had to apologize to her. He had to let Lilly know that he didn't want to get married to Kate any more than she did. He dug his claws into the ground and guilt filled his gut. Garth began to howl. He howled loudly to reach out to Lilly and call her back to him.

Lilly's ears twitched as she heard the familiar howl of the Alpha that she had fallen in love with. Hurt and anger filled her. She still sat in the lake, soaking her fur through. She didn't want to hear Garth's howl. She didn't want anything to do with Garth. Lilly dunked her head under the water to muffle the sound of his calls to her.

Garth howled harder and louder as tears filled his eyes and his throat began to ache. Still, he howled on, calling out to Lilly. Eventually, his throat failed to carry on and his howls came out more as hoarse cries in the night. The sound was unpleasant and his voice kept on cracking, but he howled on. His howls didn't sound much better than the night when Lilly taught him how to howl properly. As if to emphasize the memory, birds fell from the sky as he pleadingly cried out in the night for Lilly.

Lilly continued to listen to Garth's howls, no matter how much she didn't want to. She couldn't keep her head underwater forever… and his howls got progressively more desperate… and bad. Lilly sighed and left the lake to make her way upstream where the Alpha that broke her heart sat "howling" for her.

Garth had his eyes closed and he didn't notice her approach. Despite her anger towards him, she slowly strode up to him and placed a paw against his chest.

"I _told_ you, Garth… Howl from _here_."

Garth opened his eyes as Lilly's paw met his chest and he looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. "I _was_, Lilly… but the longer you didn't come back to me… the more broken my howl and heart became."

Lilly shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. She was thankful for her wet fur, which kept him from seeing her tears. "You have no right to say that to me, Garth… It's _your_ fault I didn't want to come to you."

Garth nodded solemnly. "I know, Lilly… I know… but you have to know, I didn't want this any more than you did. I've got a duty to my pack… and I _had_ to marry Kate to unite the packs… it was the only way to end this conflict peacefully." Lilly scowled. _Peacefully_… Lilly spent her entire life trying to settle conflict peacefully… and it was what tore her away from the wolf she loved.

"Lilly… please, hear me out… I _love_ you. I really do… I'll never stop loving you… and I'd want nothing more than to be with you. But I had a responsibility… an obligation… a duty. I know it's hard for you to understand, but it's something that had to be done."

Anger flared though Lilly. "Why would it be hard for me to understand? Because I'm an _Omega_? That's it isn't it? I couldn't possibly understand why you _had_ to do what you did because I'm a _useless_ Omega that knows nothing about responsibility and duty? Is that it, Garth!?"

Garth shook his head. "No, Lilly, I didn't mean it like that. It's just… hard… and complicated. This was about _both_ of our packs, Lilly. If I didn't go through with it, it could've started a pack war. All of our friends and our families would be fighting one another… some of them would probably die."

Lilly sighed. "Whatever you say, Garth, but the fact of the matter is, you're a pack leading Alpha now. You have no time for an Omega like me…" Lilly turned and walked away from him. Garth ran up to her and turned her around. "I'll _always_ have time for you, Lilly. Even if I have to _make_ time."

Lilly raised an eyebrow. "Even if you have to _make_ time? What, you mean you'd shun your duties to be with me? You'd abandon your responsibilities to be with me?" Garth nodded without hesitation.

Lilly shook her head at him. "So _now_ you're willing to give up your responsibilities for me? It's too little, too late, Garth. You could've given up your responsibilities when you were getting married to my sister… but you didn't. The fact that you're willing to give them up _now_ means that you're only willing to half-ass our relationship."

Garth's chest throbbed as guilt filled him. "No… Lilly… I wouldn't do that… I love you…"

Lilly snarled angrily. "I _won't_ be your mate in hiding, Garth. I _won't_ waste my time on the sidelines, waiting for you to come to me after you're done _pretending_ with my sister."

Garth tried frantically to find the right words to say to her. He tried his best to reason with her. He _really_ didn't want to lose her. He walked up to Lilly and nuzzled her nose. Lilly stopped dead in her tracks. As she calmed down, Garth tried his best to not screw it up. "I love you, Lilly… Only you, no matter what. I _know_ I messed up… and that this isn't a _real_ marriage… but neither is the one that I had with Kate. _You're_ all that matters to me, and I wouldn't give you up for the world."

Tears filled Lilly's eyes as she felt Garth's nose rub against her own. She wished it was real. She wished that they had gone through an entire marriage ritual with everyone watching. Pain filled her chest and she pulled back and pushed Garth away. She ran away from him, tears flowing from her eyes.

_It's not fair…_

"Lilly! Please, come back!"

"Leave me alone, Garth!"

She ran away from him, trying desperately to find another place to hide. Garth stood there and watched as she ran from him. He dug his claws into the ground as he grew angrier at himself. Why was he so stupid!? Why couldn't he find the right words to speak with her!? Why couldn't he express his regret and sorrow to her clearly? Garth looked down at the stream. He slashed his paw through the water, scattering his reflection.

_I'm sorry, Lilly..._

* * *

Humphrey blinked rapidly as the Canadian Express rushed by him.

"Wolf! Are you crazy!?" Marcel yelled out from under him. "Indeed. I must say, Humphrey, that standing on the tracks while a train rapidly approaches was not quite the smartest move you could have made." Paddy commented.

Humphrey shook his head and quickly got off of the two birds beneath him. "Wh-what happened?" Humphrey asked as he began to gain his bearings.

"Well, we were following you to tell you when to board the train… and when we saw you making a break for the tracks, we thought you had it handled and we'd come speak to you after you boarded." Paddy explained.

Marcel rolled his eyes and cut in on the duck. "And what happens? You run straight onto the tracks about a mile in front of the train. That is _not_ how you board a train, wolf. That is how you get yourself killed." Marcel berated him with his French accent.

_Indeed… that is how you get us killed._

Humphrey's heart thumped and his pupils dilated. His blood started to rush as his darkness quickly began to steal control. He shook his head and growled.

_I have NO intention of dying before killing a few things myself._

Humphrey snarled angrily at the demon that attempted to seize control over him. Marcel looked oddly at the Omega. "Wolf… are you all right? You don't seem to be doing so well."

Humphrey let out a maniacal laugh, then shook his head rapidly. His breathing became shallow. "Marcel… Paddy… you _have_ to run."

Marcel raised an eyebrow. "We are birds, monsieur. And the last time you tried to catch me, sure, I went down… but I believe I won."

Humphrey swiped his claws and cut several feathers off of both of the birds. Their eyes widened in surprise. Humphrey placed a paw against his head, fighting his inner demon to the best of his ability.

_Come now, Humphrey… let go. There's no reason to fight me. You won't win._

"Marcel! Paddy! _Leave!_" Humphrey snarled loudly. The birds didn't hesitate to take off into the sky. The darkness seized complete control for a moment and jumped from tree to tree, steadily climbing until it reached the tip and lunged after Paddy. The bird quacked in surprise to see the wolf soaring through the air towards him and flapped his wings frantically.

The darkness missed the grab and slowly began to plunge to the ground. Marcel and Paddy flew down to see if Humphrey was dead. They saw him rolling around, snarling, and fighting with himself. Humphrey called out to them. "Guys! Find Kate! Tell her to find me… and _kill_ me!"

Humphrey barely finished his thought before he roared out in agony.

_Oh Humphrey… your will has gotten so much stronger. It's going to be fun breaking every last ounce of it. And what makes you think Kate's going to come for you?_

Humphrey shut his eyes tightly. "She will… she has to."

_HA! You think she CARES!? She OBVIOUSLY doesn't. She doesn't give a goddamn SHIT about you._

Humphrey shook his head in denial. "She'll come. If only to kill me and destroy _you_… She'll come."

_Maybe she will… and I may just tear her to shreds in front of your very eyes._

"You wouldn't! You _can't_! Not with her Alpha training and me fighting you every step of the way! We've beaten you before... we'll beat you again!"

_There is no WE, Humphrey. NOBODY is coming for you. NOBODY gives a flying FUCK about you. Give it up! We both know that your situation is hopeless. I know you better than you know yourself. Why don't you just hand me control? I promise... I'll make everyone pay for what you've had to go through._

Humphrey's heart throbbed. He gritted his teeth together as he began to get light-headed.

_There is only US, Humphrey. There is only us and the destruction we can cause. Nobody in Jasper respects you OR cares about you... but we'll make them see. We'll make them ALL see. EVERYONE who's EVER looked down on you will regret it._

"No... I _won't_ let you hurt _any_ of them!" Humphrey shouted at thin air. The darkness mocked him with nothing but laughter.

_But Humphrey... dear, dear Humphrey... why not? They've hurt you. You were going to be the leader of the pack... but you CHOSE to be an Omega. And none of the other wolves ever respected you after you made that choice. Even the wolf you love has turned her back on you... and she's the reason that you suffer. I KNOW you, Humphrey. Don't you want to show them how much they hurt you!? Don't you YEARN to inflict that which has been done to you!?_

Humphrey felt his sanity slipping. Laughter echoed out in his ears. It wasn't the maniacal laughter of his inner demon... but none-the-less, the laughter mocked him. Rage began to consume him. They all laugh at him. They all disrespect him... Maybe they _did_ need to learn a thing or two.

_YOU ARE WEAK!_

The darkness seized complete control as Humphrey's will began to break. A single tear fell from Humphrey's eye as he realized that he'd failed to cage the monster within... he allowed it to manipulate him... and now he was completely at its mercy.

_I think that our priority target is the Alpha bitch, don't you agree, Humphrey? Let's go spill her blood._

Humphrey fought for control, but quickly realized that the darkness had no intention of giving him any power. Humphrey was forced to look through the eyes of his inner demon as it began to menacingly make its way back into Jasper with an intent to kill.

_I'm sorry Kate..._


End file.
